What do you think?
Rate this book
Reno Court of Inquiry: Conduct at the Little Bighorn
One of the most important documents in American military history is now available for Kindle, tablets, and smartphones. The Reno Court of Inquiry is the detailed testimony about the conduct of Major Marcus Reno by the survivors of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
In 1879, a military court of inquiry was convened in Chicago to determine the issue of cowardice on the part of Major Reno. And a fascinating group of witnesses they were. Here is the testimony of the gentlemanly, sardonic Captain Frederick Benteen, international man of intrigue Charles DeRudio, heroic young Dr. Henry Porter, future-General Edward Godfrey, the trumpeter John Martin, interpreter Fred Gerard and 17 others, including Reno himself.
In graphic detail, the survivors recount their disastrous rout in the Valley fight at the hands of hundreds of Sioux warriors, their disorganized retreat to the bluffs, and their bewilderment at what they believed had been their abandonment by General George Armstrong Custer. They spent two days under a withering hailstorm of gunfire from thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne, led by Crazy Horse, Gall, Sitting Bull and others.
When they found out two days later that Custer and over 200 of his men were dead, they could not believe it. Before leaving the battlefield, they had to bury their comrades and attempt to identify mutilated officers.
This is NOT the Graham Abstract but the full transcript based on the original documents from the U.S. National Archives. Included is additional material about the battle, the battle timeline, and the history of the Reno transcript, which was almost lost to history.
Even with a casual interest in Custer, the Indian Wars, or court proceedings you will find something to fascinate you in this massive and important record.
In 1879, a military court of inquiry was convened in Chicago to determine the issue of cowardice on the part of Major Reno. And a fascinating group of witnesses they were. Here is the testimony of the gentlemanly, sardonic Captain Frederick Benteen, international man of intrigue Charles DeRudio, heroic young Dr. Henry Porter, future-General Edward Godfrey, the trumpeter John Martin, interpreter Fred Gerard and 17 others, including Reno himself.
In graphic detail, the survivors recount their disastrous rout in the Valley fight at the hands of hundreds of Sioux warriors, their disorganized retreat to the bluffs, and their bewilderment at what they believed had been their abandonment by General George Armstrong Custer. They spent two days under a withering hailstorm of gunfire from thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne, led by Crazy Horse, Gall, Sitting Bull and others.
When they found out two days later that Custer and over 200 of his men were dead, they could not believe it. Before leaving the battlefield, they had to bury their comrades and attempt to identify mutilated officers.
This is NOT the Graham Abstract but the full transcript based on the original documents from the U.S. National Archives. Included is additional material about the battle, the battle timeline, and the history of the Reno transcript, which was almost lost to history.
Even with a casual interest in Custer, the Indian Wars, or court proceedings you will find something to fascinate you in this massive and important record.
728 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 12, 2015
78 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 25, 2019
Interesting but confusing. I read this on Kindle, possibly the print edition is more coherent. There are witnesses listed whose testimony is not in the book. I couldn't figure out what this list of witnesses was supposed to represent. The questioning would not be regarded as competent or even proper in today's hearing rooms. The answers are frequently non responsive to the question, in many cases because the question was so improper. The general rule is one fact in each question. Only one witness claims Major Reno had been drinking. The person who charged him with being drunk, based on hearsay, does not appear at the hearing. This is all so confusing and inconclusive one has to wonder who structured this proceeding. In any event, a modern (lawyer) reader can't help but conclude that there was a failure of proof of the charge of intoxication, and that Major Reno appears to have properly carried out his duties and that the court of inquiry was a wild and crazy proceeding.
April 24, 2021
Complete transcript, except for maps.
I've been trying to find a complete transcript of the Reno Inquiry, and this is it, except for the maps, and the author tells where they can be found. I also like that the testimony is given twice: by individual witness and then chronologically. The only criticism is that I would have liked the order flipped.
I've been trying to find a complete transcript of the Reno Inquiry, and this is it, except for the maps, and the author tells where they can be found. I also like that the testimony is given twice: by individual witness and then chronologically. The only criticism is that I would have liked the order flipped.
March 24, 2017
This book is an excellent primary source for the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It is a must read for all serious students of the battle. A fascinating yet haunting journey through 7th Cavalry history.
May 20, 2021
Great book
A great source of information for anyone interested in this battle. Reno has often been overlooked but this book sheds a great light on what he did and why he could not help Custer. I learned a lot, highly recommended.
A great source of information for anyone interested in this battle. Reno has often been overlooked but this book sheds a great light on what he did and why he could not help Custer. I learned a lot, highly recommended.
August 18, 2016
Pretty much everything the white man knows about the Battle of the Little Big Horn was covered in the 23 days of testimony and documents gathered for a Court of Inquiry requested by Major Reno after aspersion were made about his conduct at the battle two years earlier.
The supporters of the myth of Custer seems to have been largely responsible for the accusations made against Major Reno and Captain Benteen, and in this case the military justice system worked and the board rendered reasonable findings.
The supporters of the myth of Custer seems to have been largely responsible for the accusations made against Major Reno and Captain Benteen, and in this case the military justice system worked and the board rendered reasonable findings.
January 16, 2015
If you find the Battle of the Little Bighorn as fascinating as I do, this book contains new material as well as the entire transcript of the Reno Inquiry. All the interesting players are here, from Captain Frederick Benteen and Charles DeRudio, to the scout Varnum.
It was a horrific two days that the Reno-Benteen Defense holed up in the shallow swale on Reno Hill. The testimony of the survivors is riveting.
It was a horrific two days that the Reno-Benteen Defense holed up in the shallow swale on Reno Hill. The testimony of the survivors is riveting.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews